Cardamom Lentil Soup (Gluten Free, Vegan)

This is one of my favorite soups. If you love cardamom, this soup is for you. The recipe is from Allrecipes. It’s labeled as Moroccan Lentil soup but with the presence of garam masala among other spices it arguably leans Indian. I made a few changes over time to fit my palate. Hopefully you’ll love this fiber and protein-packed soup as much as me.

Here are my changes:
-I substitute Goya brown lentils over the suggested red lentils since I already use that type for making dal.
-I skip cannellini beans and stick with the chickpeas.
-If you have ground cardamom that’s great. I usually break open around 12 cardamom pods and crush the seeds.
-Canned tomatoes work well but I prefer 2-3 fresh plum tomatoes chopped up.
-Double the cayenne, cumin, ginger and garlic

On the stovetop it cooks for around an hour to hour and a half. The recipe suggests blending part of it which gives it a creamier texture. I like it both ways. In the picture it’s unblended and gets a stewy texture, neither thick or thin.